Work is set to start in November on widening Interstate 64 east of Richmond, Va., with the aim of completing a six-lane superhighway connection to Hampton Roads, according to an announcement by Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Commissioner Stephen Brich earlier this fall.
The aim is to add a third lane in each direction on I-64 in New Kent County and the northern reaches of James City County, southeast of the Virginia capital city.
The wider highway would connect with the recently expanded section of I-64 between Newport News and Williamsburg to the south of the new project area.
Each of those projects, along with the two new tunnels under way next to the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel, will tackle the chronic traffic jams that frustrate shippers moving cargo between Interstate 95 in Richmond and port facilities in Hampton Roads, VDOT revealed.
Adjoining segments of I-64 between these two areas are six lanes or greater, which has created a 29-mi. "gap" on the interstate where drivers are forced to hit their brakes, VDOT noted. Congestion through that corridor is notorious, and continues to grow in the gap, disrupting one of the state's most important thoroughfares.
The Richmond Times Dispatch reported that the first highway work will carve away at the median between mile marker 205, by the Bottoms Bridge exit, to mile marker 215, just east of the exit for Va. Highway 155 and Providence Forge.
Work on this segment of the freeway is slated to finish in July 2027 at a cost of $210 million, far below VDOT's original estimate of $277.8 million.
Construction work on a second segment, between mile markers 215 and 224, and located 4 miles east of the exit for Va. 33 and the town of West Point, is set for completion in April 2028. The transportation agency has estimated it will cost $244 million.
VDOT will seek bids next spring for the third segment, between mile markers 224 and 233, where the already-widened portion of I-64 begins. This construction is due to be finished in November 2027 and cost $231.8 million.
The highway between Newport News and Williamsburg was widened in the same way as the planned work east of Richmond — by cutting into the median between eastbound and westbound lanes. That often meant using the shoulder as a travel lane.
According to the transportation department, the I-64 GAP Segment A widening project's major work items include:
- Two bridge widening and rehabilitation efforts in both directions of the interstate over Va. 155/North Courthouse Road.
- A total of 10.7 mi. of I-64 roadway repairs and lane expansions.
- Installing overhead signage, ITS systems, sound barrier walls, retaining walls and storm drainage box culverts and pipes.
The budget compromise enacted by the Virginia General Assembly this year includes $150 million more for widening I-64 in New Kent and James City counties, while the Central Virginia Transportation Authority, the Richmond regional body that deploys funds from the region's sales and fuel tax surcharges, has committed $100 million to get started on what is likely to be a $750 million project when it is completed.
Expanding I-64 Seen as a Critical Step
Business groups in metro Richmond and Hampton Roads have argued that adding lanes in the final 29 mi. of I-64 between the capital region and Williamsburg is critical for the economic future of the two regions, the Times Dispatch reported.
"Building a third lane in each direction of the highway creates an opportunity connector unifying Richmond and Hampton Roads, growing the economy, improving the environment, and providing equitable opportunities for all," VDOT noted on its website.
"Virginia recognizes the importance of connecting these regions, and has steadily invested almost $600M in this corridor, completing 21 mi. of widening in the Newport News area and 5 miles in eastern Richmond," according to the state agency. "These efforts, combined with the expansion of the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel at over $3.86 billion and the creation of the Hampton Roads Express Lanes network at over $900 million, demonstrate a commitment to providing infrastructure that will be a solid foundation to deliver opportunities for all."
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